Mark 7:1-14 "When Rite Is Wrong"
We are creatures of habit. We like routine.
The Bible says things should be done “decently and in order.”
Some things become full-fledged traditions.
A simple test to determine what we consider essential to church: “It wouldn’t be church without ____________.”
The True Of Tradition: When Rite Is Right
Not all tradition is bad.
Tradition is valuable when it communicates to us truth about God and truth about ourselves.
In the church we have certain traditions that are symbols of a higher reality:
- Baptism –It is symbolic of Christ’s saving work in the life of the believer who is baptized.
- Lord’s Supper – It points to Jesus.
- To Jesus sacrificial death.
- To His unmerited grace.
- To God’s love in sending His Son and the redemption of sinners.
Living traditions like the Lord’s Table and Baptism only remain alive when we see beyond the outward ceremony to the reality behind it.
The Tragedy Of Tradition: When Rite Is Wrong
Our text speaks about the tragedy of tradition.
In Mark 7:1-5 we see what Jesus thought about man-made traditions.
The Scribes and Pharisees were upset because Jesus’ Disciples were not performing the ceremonial washings before they ate.
Jesus condemned traditions when they became more important than the things they represented. Mark 7:6-8.
Their worship was vain and dead because they exalted tradition to the status of doctrine.
Matthew 23:25-26 gives us more insight into this account.
Jesus was more concerned with the heart condition than their hand condition.
Another tradition was used as an excuse to avoid serving God. Mark 7:9-13.
“Corban” – meant something was set apart for God’s use and could not be used for any other earthly purpose.
They had established a tradition by which they could actually get around the commandment of God.
It is interesting how we can pervert the real meaning of Christianity in the name of God.
The Test Of Tradition: When Rite Is Relevant
What is the ultimate test of tradition? “Does it deal with our heart trouble?”
When traditions are established which assists us in knowing God and communing with Him, then they are good.
We must be careful to not allow the symbol to become more important than what it symbolizes.
Don’t hold onto things after God has finished using them.
Sometimes we are like Mary at Lazarus’ tomb:
- Jesus is the great “I was.”
- Jesus is the great “I Will Be.”
But the fact is Jesus is the great I AM.
He is at work today!
Be open for God to do a new thing in your life.
Be open for God to do a new thing in our church.
May we be like Paul, when he said, “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” Philippians 3:13b-14
